


Cavalry

by 4wholecats



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, SECOND CHAPTER IS DARK JUST WARNING YOU, but also good stuff, like a lot, mentions of a lot of other characters, xander makes some friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-09-07
Packaged: 2018-11-28 16:12:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11421522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4wholecats/pseuds/4wholecats
Summary: Xander learns his place in the kingdom of Askr.(Short thing/s about my Horse Emblem team.)





	1. Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT/1-30-2018  
> I completely rewrote this chapter from the ground up! The old version disgusted me! 
> 
> Also expect little consistency with these stories... this is just kinda a writing dump for me TAT!

Unlike most members of Askr’s army, Xander is not summoned. Instead, he is captured after a battle gone wrong, and is carted back to Askr as a prisoner. He is, needless to say, quite sceptical of his new leaders, because despite the fact that he is (or was until recently) their enemy, they don’t bind his hands and lock him up. He is free to go almost anywhere he wants in the castle. It takes him an embarrassingly long time to figure out that he has been recruited into Askr’s army. 

 

They do take Siegfried though. It seems trust can only go so far.

 

For the first few days, he has no real responsibilities, aside from acclimating himself to this new environment. It’s brighter than Nohr or even Embla, and in his dark armor, Xander feels distinctly out of place. 

 

They assign him a guard, just for a little bit. Sharena assures him it’s temporary, just to keep an eye on him and make sure there’s no so-called “funny business”. Contracts don’t always break cleanly, and they can’t have him turning against them at inopportune moments. 

 

The guard is a knight. His eyebrows are permanently cemented in a look of deep concentration, even when sleeping. He is very formal with his words and actions. He goes by Frederick. Anywhere Xander goes, Frederick follows, and it’s only a few days before they have something between them that might have resembled “friendship”.

 

Camilla is here too. She’s been here for a while, along with her retainers. She and Xander don’t have a lot of time to talk, but they sit down a few times in the late hours of the night and chat the way they never could back home. Camilla already has an assignment under commander Minerva, and she and her fellow flier knights are getting along famously.

 

Xander is slightly disappointed that he won’t be fighting alongside his sister, but he’s fallen off enough wyverns to know that flying just isn’t for him. 

 

Cavalry it is than.

 

He meets his so called “team” after about a week. Xander is thankful that the Askrians were kind enough to let him keep the horse that Veronica had given to him. He doesn’t have time to train and bond with another one. They also give Siegfried back, which makes him feel a lot safer than when he was only permitted to have an iron sword. 

 

Assignments are far too small in this world. Four people can’t possibly be enough to win battles. Even after Alphonse explains that enemy armies will be small as well, Xander can’t help but feel confused and mildly afraid for his life. Sure, he’s taken out hundreds of soldiers by himself, but he was assisted by healers, infantry, and his retainers. A fraction Nohrian army was easily fifty times bigger than anything in Askr.

 

Xander is relieved to hear that Frederick will be on the same team as him. He can’t fight with Camilla, but at least he knows someone here.

 

Camus is their captain, and Reinhardt is his sub-commander. Xander had an the opportunity to spar with Camus before (who, as a lance user, wiped the floor with him), and Reinhardt seems like a decent man and an adept mage. Maybe this won’t be too terrible after all. 

 

They fight well together. Camus and Frederick take and do the brunt of the damage in battle, while Xander is tasked with protecting Reinhardt. The mage is very skilled with that tome of his, striking down enemies from afar with massive bolts of lightning. The magic makes Xander’s hair stand on end and he briefly wonders if it’s such a good idea to stand next to the man while wearing this much metal. 

 

They all share a room in the barracks as well. Everyone gets a bed, a desk, and a trunk for clothes and personal items. When Elise arrives a few weeks later, he visits her room one day and is immediately grateful that his teammates are neat, clean, sensible people. 

 

Putting four children in one room and leaving them to their own devices will always end in disaster, even if all four children are princesses. There’s clothes on the floor, beds are unmade, and staves everywhere. Lady Lissa’s side is by far the worst and desperately needs to be mopped, but it’s clear that Elise isn’t used to living without the assistance of maids to clean up after her either. Elise’s room, or at least the part of the room that she occupies, is cleaned spotless by the weekend with the help of Frederick. 

 

The castle never sleeps, either. There’s always someone up and about, whether it be Robin stumbling out of the library at 2 AM or Azura wandering the halls and singing in that haunting voice of hers in the early hours of the morning.

 

He has to talk to her about that. It’s honestly terrifying.

 

Xander is used to waking up early, but Frederick must be trying to win some sort of contest. Every day at 4:30 AM, the man gets up, gets ready for the day, and leaves, not coming back until well into the night. He’s quiet enough, but Xander is a very light sleeper, and he usually catches the other man just as he’s leaving.

 

Xander isn’t entirely at home with be “just another soldier” rather than a commander, but he likes Camus. They share many of the same values and Camus has proven himself to be a reliable ally in battle. People who didn’t know them would mistake them for brothers. Xander offhandedly remarks that Camus might have made a good crown prince in another world. Something flickers behind the other man’s eyes for a second before he smiles and politely thanks Xander for such high praise. 

 

Xander often wonders what it would be like to actually see another version of himself in this world. Surely it’s possible, he’s seen versions of people he knows in the enemy army, but never another Xander. It’s months before he comes face to face with himself in battle. 

 

To see himself on the other side of the clearing is… bewildering to say the least. This Xander looks slightly different from himself, with darker hair and a silver sword instead of the legendary Siegfried, but there is no mistaking it. This Xander is far less concerned with his doppelganger and charges straight at Frederick’s blind spot, only a few feet away-

 

Xander doesn’t look when Gradivus impales itself in his double’s skull, but the sound that follows still makes him sick. 

 

Shortly after that battle, Reinhardt falls ill. Very, very ill. He can’t get up from his bed, he can’t eat, and he can barely sleep. Lucius and Frederick escort him to the makeshift hospital wing set up in the barracks, and the clerics say that he will be fine, but now they are down a team member. The summoner assigns them a temporary ally, and it is… not who they would have expected. 

 

Fae is a child. A literal child. 

 

She looks younger than Elise, even. She’s excitable and friendly when the summoner introduces her, but the three knights can’t help but share a sceptical look with each other. They switch up their strategy; Xander will now lead the front lines, Frederick will deal with archers and generals, and Camus will protect the child. This is only temporary anyways. They will be fine as long as they stick with a more defensive strategy. 

 

Fae, as it turns out, does not need Camus’ protection. 

 

In fact, it is she that protects all of them. Xander mentally slaps himself for not noticing her pointed ears. She darts between the horses, spooking them as she transforms, feathers exploding out of her tiny body as rays of light envelop her. The dragon roars and charges ahead, shredding the mages and archers in front of her into ribbons.

 

She’s very innocent with her killing, in a way that reminds Xander uncomfortably of Corrin. When it’s all over and they are all wiping the blood of their weapons, she shrinks back down to her human form and flashes them a toothy, but very genuine smile. She might be older than any of them, but she’s really still just a baby, and has no business standing in the middle of a battlefield covered in blood.

 

A few days later, she gives them all (very excited) hugs goodbye, since Reinhardt has returned and is mostly ready for combat. Xander makes a mental note to write a letter to Corrin, just to see how she’s doing.

 

The summoner returns from the summoning stone with five new heroes in toe. Xander thinks he recognizes some of them, and he gives a respectful nod to Beruka when he sees her pass by. Camilla will be overjoyed, he’s sure. 

 

One of the new heroes, a cleric woman with hair the color of seafoam, stops in front of Camus and calls him a name that none of them have heard before. She reaches up towards his face and he steps back. The woman retracts her hand and mumbles and apology, face red and eyes staringly pointedly at her feet. Then she scurries off after the summoner, casting a confused glance back at them. 

 

Xander finds her a few days later, alone in the palace garden. It’s a fine place to spend quiet time, but she’s sitting on a bench with her head in her hands, so she’s obviously not here to enjoy the scenery. Xander cautiously approaches her, and when she doesn’t shoo him away, he sits down. She sniffles and looks up at him with her big grey eyes and mumbles something along the lines of ‘he doesn’t remember me-’ before standing up and rushing back into the castle. 

 

None of them see her again. Xander hopes she at least got home safely.

 

It’s a surprise one morning when the young princess Sharena knocks on their door. She’s clearly nervous, and she keeps wringing her hands behind her back as she asks them if Frederick is around. They direct her towards the training grounds and she leaves in a hurry. 

 

Frederick comes back to the room early that night, white as a sheet. Xander asks him what has happened, if everything is alright, but the knight does not speak to him, or any of them, for the rest of the evening, instead electing to climb into his bed and face the wall for the rest of the night; silent but not sleeping. 

 

The next day on the training grounds, Frederick is a little stronger, a little quicker, and in his hands he holds a brave axe instead of his usual hammer.  

 

Out of all of them, Xander talks to Reinhardt the least. It’s not like he dislikes the other man, it’s just that they are both so busy.  They barely even see each other outside of battle or strategy meetings. Xander knows next to nothing about the him, even though they have worked together for months. What is his home like? Does he have any family? Where did he even get that damned tome of his? Xander his head and refocuses on training again; he doesn’t have time to rummage around in other people’s business. 

 

A month goes by, and soon the summoner comes back from the summoning stone with five new heroes in toe. Xander doesn’t recognize any of them.

 

One of the new recruits is a young woman with short black hair and dark eyes. She looks a little bit familiar, but she’s clearly no soldier of Nohr. It’s only later, when Reinhardt returns back to the shared room and tells him that his sister has arrived that it clicks. 

 

They are still the best team out there, he’s been told. They’ve been taking on the most difficult assignments for months with almost no trouble. They’ve been driving Veronica and her empire closer and closer the the end of the war with every battle.

 

All of them enjoy their success, and despite the fact that this is a wartime, Xander doesn’t really want the war to end. He loves Nohr; he would die for Nohr if that’s what was asked of him, but he likes the peace. His siblings are happy and safe, the resources here are plentiful, the country itself is a beauty to behold, and the sky is blue almost every day. Maybe when he returns to his kingdom, he will be inspired to make Nohr a little more like this. 


	2. Mirror Image

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when you summon more than one of the same hero? you can either send them home, or...

There’s a commotion at the summoning stone this morning. There is usually a bit of increased activity whenever a new hero joins their ranks, but today there is a small crowd whispering behind their hands and stealing glances out the window to the spot where the summoner greets the new recruits. When the new heroes file in just a few moments later, Xander doesn’t really understand what the commotion is all about. 

 

And then he sees a child.

 

She can’t be any older than five or six, and she walks hand-in-hand with a very elderly sage towards the briefing room. Her long light blue hair makes something in Xander grind to a halt as he recognizes exactly who has been summoned.

 

He does not see the mini-replica of Azura again, but he hopes that she made it home safely.

 

* * *

 

Of course there are discrepancies between summons; it’s only natural since the summoner’s weapon can pull almost anyone out of any place in all of time and space. Sometimes, heroes come to Askr and they are too old to fight. Sometimes they come so young that they can barely lift a blade. Sometimes they are sick or injured, pulled straight from battle. Xander thinks back to all the versions of himself he has seen on the battlefield, and honestly, his own replaceability scares him. There are hundreds of Xanders out there and one day, the summoner could ask him to pack his bags and leave for good if a better one comes along. 

 

 

* * *

Xander is not the first on his team to meet his double; that honor goes to Frederick. An onlooker wouldn’t have even been able to tell the difference between the two of them, and both great knights glare at each other suspiciously until the summoner whisks the newcomer away, never to be seen again. Frederick huffs and stands up proudly, title apparently safe for the time being. 

 

* * *

 

 

Reinhardt is next. Not as immediately opposed to his double as his comrade was, in a very short time both of them could be found in the library pouring over notes scrawled in the margins of their tomes, a Thoron and the legendary Dire Thunder. The summoner tracks both of them down eventually and the new Reinhardt disappears almost as quickly as he came. The only reminder they have that he ever existed in the first place is that Corrin, the one from they had found frolicking around on the beach, now holds a Thoron that is much like the one their short-lived friend carried. 

 

* * *

 

 

There’s always a fuss when an injured person is summoned, because traveling between worlds does tend to put a lot of strain on the system, and if someone is hurt the shock can be enough to kill them. A healer always accompanies the summoner to the stone, just in case, but today, they are too late. The man opens his eyes, both of which are hazy, takes one laborious breath, and then falls to his knees. He doesn’t even make it inside before Lissa, sweet and tiny Lissa, pronounces him dead. The summoner carefully turns the man over and pulls aside clumps of bloody red hair before whispering a few words to Sharena, who skitters off. She returns a few moments later with Minerva in toe. Minerva looks solemnly down at the corpse before speaking a few words and rushing off. The summoner carefully places a thick white sheet over Michalis’ body before shooing away the onlookers. Xander takes one last look at the bloody ground and counts his lucky stars that he and his siblings arrives safely. 

 

* * *

 

 

It’s only about a week later that the summoner is faced with another emergency at the summoning stone. This time, the man takes a single step before the summoner expertly weaves their arm around the man’s shoulders to steady him, and Lissa (why does she always get the bad shift?) waves her staff and escorts them all to the infirmary. Xander, who was already on his way there after a small training accident, watches while the clerics frantically rush around. The injured man watches them with a detached sort of expression, and Xander almost recognized him…

 

King Marth had mentioned Camus before, when Xander first came to Askr. When talking about him, he had talked about a lot of things, things like loyalty, and honor; something about a war, something about a girl, and something about a prison.

 

Sure enough, there is a length of rope binding this new man’s hands and when it is cut away, it leaves horrible red scars in it’s wake. This new Camus slumps in his seat as if sitting upright physically hurts him, and when Xander catches a glance at his face it is as bruised and bloody as the rest of him. Then, just as the two men make eye contact, one concerned and one visibly and  _ unnervingly _ empty, Xander is ushered out in a hurry. He doesn't see the double again, but when he wakes up for training the next morning, Camus’ face makes his stomach flip, even if this version, the version he knows and is friends with, is unharmed. 

 

Xander asks Camus nonchalantly during practice one day if he’s ever been tortured. Camus looks at him funny and pauses before saying no. Xander doesn’t mention it again, not even when he catches King Marth’s unreadable expression from across the sparring grounds. 

 

* * *

 

 

Xander hates seeing double. Xander especially hates seeing double when it’s  _ his  _ double, and that double is standing on the other side of the battlefield. But today is not one of those days. 

Instead, Xander is standing at the edge of the courtyard, staring down at the newest summoning results. In front of him stands Camilla, but that isn’t what he is staring at. Attached to one of her legs is a familiar child with curly blond hair. The child has clearly been crying, and Camilla continues to run her hand through the boy’s hair in an attempt to calm him. 

 

Xander feels his insides collapse as he his eyes flick between his sister and his mini-double, unsure of what to do. He looks around for the summoner, but strangely enough they are nowhere in sight. Camilla picks the young child up and begins the trek towards the summoners room, and Xander follows a few paces behind, keeping an eye on the boy, who hides his face in Camilla’s softly curling hair. He isn’t crying anymore but Xander can practically feel the distress radiating off of him, and he feels nothing but pure empathy. 

 

The summoner, awakened by Camilla’s continuous knocking on the door looks at the child blearily before taking the smaller Xander from her.

 

* * *

 

Regular-sized-Xander does not sleep that night and at five o’clock the next morning, Sharena corners him in the mess tent and demands that he follow her. They make their way through the underbelly of castle until they reach a large, open room sparsely lit by candles. They appear to be underground since there are no windows, and despite the lonely atmosphere, this room seems to be well used judging by the scuff marks on the floor. Sharena hands him his blade, and Siegfried hums comfortingly beside him as he ask questions to the uncharacteristically somber princess.

 

Only moments later, a door on the other side of the room opens and in comes the summoner, and trailing after them is none other than…

 

Xander’s double isn’t crying anymore, but he looks more upset than ever before as he struggles to lift a heavy iron sword in front of him. And immediately Xander demands answers because he is praying to any god that will listen that what he thinks is happening isn’t actually so. The summoner is concise, and explains that this is war, and resources like this can’t be wasted no matter how terrible it may seem, and Xander wants to throw up more than ever because the child in front of him can’t be any older than four. He can’t kill a four year old, especially one that is wearing his face and crying.

 

But in the end, he doesn’t have a choice because when he turns to Sharena she is gone and by the time he has turned back around the Summoner is gone as well, leaving him alone with the child. They stay this way for quite a while until Xander confirms that the doors are bolted and there is no way out of this room until he finishes the job.

 

Normally Xander would feel pretty good about landing the first blow, but this time he cannot physically keep his food down as his double’s blood soaks his hands and he falls to his knees. He yells in grief and fury and wakes up in the hospital wing, exhausted and confused.

 

He can’t remember how he got here. 

 

All he knows is that today during practice he feels lighter on his feet and his sword feels just a little more powerful. But then again, maybe he is imagining it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i didn't really expect to update this fic but HERE WE ARE I GUESS
> 
> well this got dark quickly


End file.
